NL2017788B1 - Refrigerated container and method for transport of fruit and/or vegetables in such a refrigerated container - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for transport of fruit and/or vegetables in a cooled or refrigerated refrigerated container (1), wherein said refrigerated container has aT bar floor (2), upstanding sidewalls (3), and a roof (4), and wherein said refrigerated con- tainer (1) is provided with a cooling system (5) for controlling a temperature inside of the refrigerated container (1), which cooling system (5) has outlet openings in the T bar floor (2) for introduction of cooled air from the cooling system (5) in-to the refrigerated container (1), wherein part of the T bar floor (2) is covered to restrict flow of cooled air from preselected outlet openings of the cooling system (5) that are located in the said covered part of the T bar floor (2), so as to arrange that an essentially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and/or vegetables stored in the refrigerated container 15 (1) independent from the foodstuffs' location in the refrigerated container (1).

Description

NL BI 2017788

Patent center

The Netherlands (21) Application number: 2017788 © Application submitted: 11/15/2016 © 2017788

BI PATENT (51) Int. CL:

B65D 88/74 (2017.01)

(Tl) Application registered: (73) Patent holder (s): 01/06/2018 OTFLOW B.V. in Barendrecht. (43) Application published: - (72) Inventor (s): Otto de Groot in Barendrecht. (w) Patent granted: 01/06/2018 (74) Agent: (45) Patent issued: ir. J. van Breda et al. in Amsterdam. 26/06/2018

© Refrigerated container and method for transport of fruit and / or vegetables in such a refrigerated container © Method for transport of fruit and / or vegetables in a cooled or refrigerated refrigerated container (1), said said refrigerated container has aT bar floor (2) , upstanding sidewalls (3), and a roof (4), and said said refrigerated container (1) is provided with a cooling system (5) for controlling a temperature inside of the refrigerated container (1), which cooling system (5) has outlet opening in the T bar floor (2) for introduction of cooled air from the cooling system (5) in-to the refrigerated container (1), part of the T bar floor (2) is covered to restrict flow or cooled air from preselected outlet opening of the cooling system (5) that are located in the said covered part of the T bar floor (2), so as to arrange that essentially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and / or vegetables stored in the refrigerated container (1) independent from the fo odstuffs' location in the refrigerated container (1).

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

Refrigerated container and method for transport of fruit and / or vegetables in such a refrigerated container

The invention relates to a refrigerated container and a method for transport of fruit and / or vegetables on pallets in such a cooled or refrigerated container, said refrigerated container has a T bar floor with outlet opening for a cooling medium, upstanding sidewalls, and a said refrigerated container is provided with a cooling system for controlling a temperature inside of the refrigerated container, which cooling system is connected to the T bar floor for introduction or cooled air from the cooling system into the refrigerated container via said outlet opening .

Such a refrigerated container and method for transport of fruit and / or vegetables in such a refrigerated container is well known from day to day practice, for instance for transport across the globe of grapes or bananas on pallets stored in the refrigerated container.

An ever present problem with the transport of fruit and / or vegetables such as grapes or bananas on pallets provided in the container, in particular when transport is required over long distances including for an tropical or subtropical region, is that the temperature within the refrigerated container is not well enough maintained to prevent damage to the foodstuffs.

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution to this problem.

According to the invention a method and a refrigerated container is proposed in accordance with one or more of the appended claims.

In a first aspect of the method of the invention part of the T bar floor of the refrigerated container on which the pallets with the foodstuffs are stored is covered to restrict flow or cooled air from preselected outlet opening of the T bar floor that are located in the said covered part of the T bar floor, so as to arrange that is essentially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and / or vegetables stored in the refrigerated container independent from the location of the pal2 lets with the foodstuffs on the T bar floor or the refrigerated container. The refrigerated container of the invention is provided with the feature that has a covering material is provided on at least a part of the T bar floor of the refrigerated container to restrict flow or cooled air from preselected outlet opening that are located in the said covered part or the T bar floor. With this surprisingly simple and cost-effective measure it has proven to be better possible to transport fruit and / or vegetables over large distances without adversely affecting the foodstuffs' quality, even if transport at least takes place in tropical or subtropical regions.

With the known refrigerated container cooling equipment or the cooling system is mounted on a first side of the refrigerated container. In this known refrigerated container it is preferable that as seen in a direction from said first side to a second side opposite to the first side of the refrigerated container, a surface area of the T bar floor that is covered is reduced from a first value to a second value that is narrower than the first value. This arranges that cooling air is directed more down into the container distant from the cooling equipment, where cooling would be less effective if the measures of the invention would not be applied.

According to the invention the T bar floor is partly covered with a suitable material, preferably carton or paper.

Most effective in terms of effect and low costs it is preferred that the T bar floor is partly covered with stuck runner, preferably recycled stuck runner.

According to the invention it is preferred that a covering material is partly provided on the T bar floor of the refrigerated container in a preselected pattern.

Although there exist many feasible patterns for the covering material, beneficially the preselected pattern is embodied as a trapezoid which has been found to perfectly suit the purpose or uniform cooling of the fruit and / or vegetables.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a refrigerated container according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

-figure 1 shows an isometric view of a refrigerated container according to the invention; and

-figure 2 shows a floor plan of the refrigerated container according to figure 1.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

Figure 1 shows a cooled or refrigerated container 1, including a T bar floor 2, upstanding sidewalls 3, and a roof 4, said refrigerated container 1 is provided with a cooling system 5 for controlling a temperature inside of the refrigerated container 1. The cooling system 5 incorporates cooling equipment 6 mounted on a first side 1 of the refrigerated container 1, and the T bar floor 2 has outlet opening (not shown but common knowledge to the skilled person) in the T bar floor 2 of the refrigerated container 1 for introduction of cooled air from the cooling system 5 into the refrigerated container 1.

In figure 2 showing a plan view of the T bar floor 2 of the refrigerated container 1 it is shown that a covering material 7 is provided on at least a part of the T bar floor 2 of the refrigerated container 1 to restrict flow of cooled air from preselected outlet opening that are located in the said covered part of the T bar floor 2, so as to arrange that is essentially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and / or vegetables stored or storable in the refrigerated container 1 independent from the foodstuffs' location on pallets placed on the T bar floor 2 of the refrigerated container 1.

Figure 2 shows that as seen in a direction from said first side 1 'or the refrigerated container 1 to a second side 1' 'opposite to the first side l'or the refrigerated container 1, a surface area of the T bar floor 2 that is provided with the covering material 7 is reduced from a first surface area value to a second surface area value that is narrower than the first surface area value. Suitably the covering material 7 is carton or paper. Preferably the T bar floor 2 or the refrigerated container 1 is covered with stuck runner, preferably recycled stuck runner.

As figure 2 shows the covering material is provided on the T bar floor 2 in a preselected pattern, which is preferably embodied as a trapezium.

Although the invention has been discussed in the fore5 with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the method and refrigerated container of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed example is therefore not used to con10 strue the appended claims strictly in accordance with therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the becoming of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be constructed in accordance with the appended claims only, where possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

Claims (12)

CONCLUSIONS Method for transporting fruit and / or vegetables in a refrigerated or freezer container (1), wherein said refrigerated container has a T-bar floor (2), upright side walls (3), and a roof (4), and wherein said cooled container (1) is provided with a cooling system (5) for controlling the temperature within the cooled container (1), which cooling system (5) has outlet openings in the T-bar floor (2) for the introduction of cooled air from the cooling system (5) in the cooled container (1), characterized in that part of the T-bar floor (2) is covered for limiting the flow of cooled air from preselected outlet openings of the cooling system (5) present are in said covered part of the T-bar floor (2), to ensure that substantially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and / or vegetables stored in the cooled container (1) independent of the location of the food in the refrigerated container (1). Method according to claim 1, wherein the cooling system (5) comprises cooling equipment (6) mounted on a first side (1 ') of the cooled container (1), characterized in that as seen in a direction of said first side (1 ') to a second side (1' ') opposite the first side (1') of the cooled container (1), a surface area of the T-bar floor (2) that is covered decreases from a first value to a second value that is less than the first value. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the T-bar floor (2) is partially covered with a suitable material (7), preferably cardboard or paper. Method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the T-bar floor (2) is partially covered with stucco runner. A method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that a covering material (7) is provided on the T-bar floor in a predetermined pattern which covers a part of the T-bar floor (2). Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the predetermined pattern is designed as a trapezium. A cooled container (1) comprising a T-bar floor (2), upright side walls (3), and a roof (4), and wherein said cooled container (1) is provided with a cooling system (5) for controlling of a temperature in the cooled container (1), which cooling system (5) has outlet openings in the T-bar floor (2) for introducing cooled air from the cooling system (5} into the cooled container (1), characterized in that a cover material (7) is provided on at least a portion of the T-bar floor (2) for limiting the flow of cooled air from predetermined outlet openings of the cooling system (5) located in said covered portion of the T-bar floor (2), in order to ensure that substantially uniform cooling is provided to the fruit and / or vegetables that is stored or can be stored in the cooled container (1) regardless of the location of the food on the T-bar floor (2) of the cooled container (1). Cooled container according to claim 7, wherein the cooling system (5) comprises cooling equipment (6) mounted on a first side ( ^1f ) of the cooled container (1), characterized in that viewed in a direction of said first side { 1 ') to a second side (1'') opposite the first side (1') of the cooled container (1), a surface area of the T-bar floor provided with the cover material (7) is returned from a first surface area value to a second surface area value that is less than the first surface area value. Cooled container according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that part of the T-bar floor (2) is covered with a suitable material, preferably cardboard or paper. Cooled container according to one of the claims 79, characterized in that part of the T-bar floor (2) is covered with stucco runner. A refrigerated container according to any one of claims 710, characterized in that a cover material (7) is provided on the T-bar floor in a predetermined pattern covering a part of the T-bar floor (2). 12. Refrigerated container according to claim 11, characterized in that the predetermined pattern is embodied as one 5 trapezium. 1/1